Parker, Ginnetti Named to 2018 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team

BALTIMORE, Md. – Rhode Island juniors Aaron Parker and Brandon Ginnetti were among 30 players named to the CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced during its Media Day festivities M&T Bank Stadium Tuesday.

Parker was one of three wide receivers named to the team, while Ginnetti was among four defensive linemen on the squad, which was determined by voting among CAA Football's head coaches and sports information directors. In 2017, Parker was a second-team all-conference pick, and Ginnetti earned third-team honors.

As a sophomore, Parker emerged as one of the top offensive threats in the country last season, ranking fifth in the league with 74.8 receiving yards per game and tying for third with seven touchdown receptions. He caught a touchdown pass in the first seven games of the season, and in nine straight games overall, setting a new program record. His 823 receiving yards were the ninth highest single-season total in team history.

Entering this season, Parker already ranks 10th in Rhode Island history in both receiving yards (1,264) and receiving touchdowns (11). He needs just 26 more receptions to reach 100 for his career.

Like Parker, Ginnetti emerged as one of the league's top players during his sophomore seson. He started all 11 games for the Rams last season and led the team with 7.0 sacks. That figure ranked him fifth among all players in the conference in 2017.

He also had 37 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss. Showing strong awareness for the ball, Ginnetti broke up five passes at the line of scrimmage in 2017. He was a big part of a defensive effort that set a program record with 32 sacks. He spearheaded a line effort that held Albany to -7 rushing yards and Villanova to 1 rushing yard, and he became just the sixth player in program history to record three sacks in the same game when he did so at Albany.

New Hampshire quarterback Trevor Knight and James Madison cornerback Rashad Robinson were selected as the league's preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.

James Madison was picked as the favorite to win the league, receiving 21 out of the 24 first-place votes. Coaches and SIDs were not allowed to vote for their own program, making the Dukes a near-unanimous selection. New Hampshire was second in the poll and received two first-place votes. Rounding out the top five were Delaware, Stony Brook and Elon. Elon was the only team besides JMU and New Hampshire to get a first-place vote, receiving one. Rhode Island was picked 12th in the poll.